Good morning, dear readers! Today on the blog, we’ve got a blog tour stop and review for Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings. This book was a breath of fresh air for me, one I hadn’t even realized I needed until I was breathing it in.

If you’ve read this book, be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments. I’m anxious to hear what others thought of this one.

From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!

Lies.

I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman.

I’m a liar.

And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make her believe them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart.

You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.

I just never expected to actually live it.

This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.

“Yeah, but…” Her eyes grow wide and glossy as she tries to sift through all the reasons why that theory shouldn’t apply to her. In the end, she relies on her heart. “You said I wasn’t like those other women…that those other women weren’t me.”

I should tell her she’s right. I should put her out of her misery and reassure her that the last ten years were as real and meaningful to me as they were for her. That even though I may sling gift-wrapped bullshit for the general public, only she knows the true, honest parts of my heart. But with my tongue possessed by the taste of her rejection, I play the petty card, and do just the opposite.

“I guess I was wrong, especially considering yesterday’s events. Maybe you’re no different from them. And maybe you were right about me…that I do sabotage with sex to keep people at arm’s length. Because in the end, that’s all I want anyway, right?”

“You don’t mean that.”

I nod. “Yeah. I do.”

“So what are you saying?” The hurt is so thick in her throat that I can barely hear the words.

I suck in a breath, and scrub a hand over my forehead. “You were right about me. About us. We shouldn’t have done…what we did. And we can’t move on and pretend that it didn’t change us. What’s done is done.”

“I agree,” she nods, with a tinge of hope in her voice.

“So, maybe we should just see this for what it is—the end. You’re starting your life with Joshua and moving away, and I’m going on with mine.”

“Wait, August. No, that’s not—”

“You didn’t actually think we’d be able to keep this up, did you? What, you thought we’d turn out to be the modern day Cathy and Heathcliff? I’m not some swoony, literary hero, Fi. I’m not here to rescue you from your shitty love life that stems from your shitty childhood.”

“I never said you were—”

I’m rambling, spewing verbal diarrhea all over her blue cashmere, but I can’t stop. I can’t shut off the bile that has been choking me since this morning when she disclosed her impending nuptials. “You have Joshua. He’s the one you chose. He’s the one you want. You made that perfectly clear. So what the fuck do you need with me?”

“I thought we were friends, August. I thought you and me were—”

“Well, I guess you were wrong. Friends don’t fuck each other and then five minutes later get engaged. And why would you want to be friends with some empty, misogynistic prick like me anyway?”

“I-I didn’t mean,” her voice cracks, and the first tear escapes. She quickly dashes it away, refusing to let me play witness to her weakness. But I’ve already seen it. I share that very same weakness that has her bottom lip trembling. I’m just too much of a coward to show it.

“Look, I’m sorry. I think we just need a break.”

“A break. Yes,” she nods, dashing away tears. “You’re right. We both said things we shouldn’t have. Let’s just take a few days to…”

“No. A break from this,” I clarify, gesturing between us. “From us. This isn’t working anymore.”

“You’re being melodramatic, August. We’ve had fights before. We’ve said things we didn’t mean, and we always were able to work it out.”

I shake my head and look away, refusing to acknowledge the dejection on her face. “But I meant everything I said.”

My Thoughts

*ARC Provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings is a beautiful, glorious piece of fiction. Parts of it broke my heart. Parts of it tore at my soul, ripping it apart, piece by piece, only to rebuild it anew shortly thereafter.

I laughed. I cried. I loved. I sympathized with these characters, with Rhys and with Fi. I got them, and I loved them. That’s all I ever want from a book. I want the author to pull me in and make me care. I want them to put me through an unexpected emotional wringer because that’s when I know a story is real. That’s when I hear it’s truth.

Emotional. Powerful. Never ending.

Ink & Lies is one of those books that just sucked me right in and had me nodding along, sighing in exasperation, laughing out loud, smiling in joy, and contemplating some pretty deep thoughts along the way. It’s a phenomenal read. I commend it’s author on writing a truly remarkable, poignant story that touched my heart and filled my head and soul with such incredible and honest words.

Fast-paced, well-written, and wildly entertaining, Ink & Lies is a must read romantic comedy about a cynical male romance writer and the best friend who unexpectedly becomes so much more. August Rhys Calloway is a dynamite fictional character, one I loved from onset. He’s compelling, dynamic, and his character voice comes across as natural and rhythmic.

Fiona is an everyday kind of woman. She’s open, honest, and she’s there for Rhys even though he’s so cynical about love and relationships. She’s the voice of reason, doing her best to get through Rhys’ stubborn side, and it’s one of the things I truly loved about her character. Even when she’s exasperated at his antics and hurt by his words, there’s an underlying fondness and caring beneath her tone. I absolutely adored the author’s ability to create so many layers in these characters and in their relationship.

Five stars is not enough for this read, in my opinion. And while it’s true that this is not a typical romance tale, it’s also true that this is an amazing love story that deserves to be read. So, if you’re looking for a fresh, unique, sometimes angsty but also totally hilarious friends to lovers read, give Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings a try. I adored it and already want to reread it a second time for its sheer enjoyment factor.

FTC Disclaimer

All review books have been provided by the publisher or author for free, via NetGalley or Edelweiss for free, or were purchased by Deanna Lynn via a brick and mortar store or through Amazon.com. We are not compensated for the reviews we post, so every review given is a fair and honest opinion about the work we read.